Organizing Your To-Do List

Guest Post by Beverly Coggins

Overwhelmed by all you need to do? Write it down! Make a list of everything you need to do.

Next, assign a day to each task. Those things that are most important and urgent should be assigned to an earlier day. Beside those items you will do on Monday, write an M. Put a T beside the things you will do on Tuesday, and so on.

Then, look at the items you have on your list for today. Prioritize them by putting a 1 beside the most important and urgent item on the list, 2 on the next, etc.

By tackling #1 on your list, you know you are doing the most critical task on your list. Even if that’s the only thing you accomplish today, you know you have spent your time on the highest priority on your list.

Transfer today’s prioritized list to today’s page on your calendar. Transfer your lists for each day to the corresponding days on your calendar.

At the end of today, evaluate undone tasks on today’s list and those items on tomorrow’s list. If necessary, reprioritize your list for tomorrow. By doing this tonight, this allows you to get started quickly on your day tomorrow with your most critical task.

As a result of creating and prioritizing your to-do list, you may realize that it is humanly impossible to do all the tasks on your to-do list. You will need to delegate, ask for help, or lower your expectations.

As things came to mind, add them to your list so everything is in one place. If you write things down, you won’t have them rambling around in your mind, and you won’t forget them!

By creating and prioritizing your to-do list, you stay focused on what you need to do, you’re motivated to use your time well, and you are forced to live in reality as far as what you are humanly able to accomplish.

Beverly Coggins is an organizing expert, speaker and author of the 1-2-3…Get Organized series and blog. Her time management books help you determine your priorities, passions, and gifts, and thereby schedule your life around what matters to you. Contact information: 330-922-0755.